Podcasting

A podcast is an audio blog that is broadcast on the Web and can be accessed using syndication technology.

Podcasts can be used by teachers to communicate with students. Lessons and listening based activities can be published and downloaded to a home computer or portable media device. Students could benefit from creating podcasts themselves. They could be used to record and broadcast speeches, poems, oral presentations, etc. Students can create recordings in any spoken language, making this an ideal tool for foreign language classrooms.

To create a podcast, you will need to create an audio file. I recommend using Audacity, a free program useful for recording, editing, and otherwise creating audio formats. Save the audio file in .mp3 format (this requires using the Export feature and navigating to a plug-in that downloads with the program... I will provide more information later). You then need to upload the audio file to the Web. I recommend using Tribal Shout!, a free audio blog hosting service. Also note that with Tribal Shout, you are able to call a number and record new episodes to your podcast over the phone.

Tribal Shout provides a handy widget that can be quickly added to your Web site, wiki, or blog. Students can listen to podcasts on your Web site using the widget, or you can provide a link for them to subscribe to your podcast and download new episodes automatically to their readers or portable devices.

This is Tribal Shout's widget with an example of an episode: